Ecosystems such as forests, wetlands and rivers as well as pastures or cropland supply basic goods and services. These include food, fibre, energy, clean water, temperature control and flood regulation, which are critical for people’s wellbeing. However, the value of ecosystems is only accounted for in the economy when they provide monetary profits. Other ecosystem services of common value are simply ignored, thus fostering their depletion and environmental degradation. Responding to an increasing demand to assess the whole interaction between ecosystems and the economy, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has created ‘An experimental framework for ecosystem capital accounting in Europe’. The initiative is part of a process which aims to supplement the UN System of National Accounts with information on the environment and natural capital.
